Field of the Disclosed Technology
The disclosed technology relates generally to the delivery, moving, or relocation businesses. More specifically, the disclosed technology relates to a lifting system that helps people lift and maneuver heavy and/or bulky objects, for example, home appliances and furniture.
The lifting system may comprise a harness having a central buckle engaging a lifter strap, and right and left arm loops operatively connected to the central buckle and/or to the harness close to the central buckle. Typically, a set of two shoulder harnesses is provided to adjustably capture opposite ends of a single central lifter strap, so that two wearers may lift an object by applying force to the central lifter strap via the shoulder harnesses and/or the arm loops.
Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 1,535,208 (Drennan) discloses a body lifter harness with a shoulder harness and a central buckle for securing the harness straps and supporting a central strap with a hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,431,780 (Theal) discloses a load carrying pair of straps connected by a central strap with a buckle, each load carrying strap being secured to a shoulder harness of a person.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,508,389 (Ripoyla et al.) discloses a harness for lifting. The harness having a bottom strap which is linked together with the bottom strap of another, identical harness at a cross-over point.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,008 (Falzone et al.) also discloses a shoulder strap harness lifter for two persons with a central strap being connected to each harness by the shoulder straps each being threaded through one of a series of openings in the central strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,729,511 (Dent '511) discloses a lifting harness for the shoulders of two persons with a wide, conventional central tension buckle and a web lift strap threaded through the buckle.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,493 (Dent '493) discloses a lifting harness similar to the one disclosed in Dent '511 above, except in Dent '493 the shoulder straps are threaded through holes in the central buckle, versus the shoulder straps having carabiners for supporting the central buckle in Dent '511. Dent '493, then, discloses a one-piece buckle that is loose on the webbed harness.
An embodiment similar to the disclosure of Dent '493 is marketed as the SHOULDER DOLLY® by Nielsen Products, LLC of Boulder, Colo., USA. (SHOULDER DOLLY® is a registered US trademark owned by TDT Moving Systems, Inc. of Colorado, USA.)